Flushing-valve.



T. P. PAYNE.

FLUSHING VALVE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 17, 1911.

1,048,866. 1 Patented Dec.31, 1912.

6 SHEETS-EIHHET 1.

FIGJ.

INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANUURAPH COUWASHINDTON. D C.

T. I. PAYNE.

FLUSHING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1911. 1 48,866. Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

5 SHEETB-8HEIIT 6.

WITNESSES [NVEN TOR.

A TTORNE Ya;

COLUMBIA PLANQURAPN CO., WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATE ATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. PAYNE, O1? PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUSHING-VALVE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Flushing-Valves, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to flushing devices or valves for flushing closet-bowls, lavatories, and other sanitary apparatus.

In the flushing of closet bowls, it is desirable that the flushing water be discharged into the bowl in such manner as to overcome a too abrupt and noisy, or undue audible delivery and resultant splashing of the Water, and to devise a valve by means of which the water may be so delivered, has been a problem heretofore unsuccessfully met by flushing valves now on the market.

Valves employing closed storage tanks, solely from which the flushing water is delivered, have been found objectionable not only by reason of the fact that the water stored in the tank under pressure necessarily is delivered substantially instantaneously in Volume with splashing, but that the amount of water so stored is limited by reason of the air-bound condition of the tank, such air space in a moderate size or common form of tank, precluding storage of water sufficient in volume to bring about effective flushing with a desirable after-flow of water to the bowl. Furthermore, valves of thistype employing tanks are fed by afeed-pipe of comparatively small diameter, the very purpose of the tank being to form, in the absence of a large, and the employment of a small supply pipe, the source directly from which the closet is flushed, and the after-flow, or even the flow of the flushing water to the bowl is necessarily limited by reason of the fixed. and quickly expended volume in the tank.

An object of my invention is the provision of' a valve in which flushing may be had from a combined delivery from the main source of supply and an auxiliary source or storage tank.

I aim to overcome the di'tliculties above mentioned in the provision of a valve by which the flushing water may be delivered to the bowl or other santiary apparatus at a uniform and constant volume and with Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 17, 1911.

Patented Dec. 31,1912.

Serial No. 639,004.

such absence of delivery pressure or impetus as will overcome noise and splashing. As a valve by which the flushing. may be effected from both the storage tank and source of supply, it will be found to be particularly advantageous in connection with systems in which the closet-seat (where the valve is of the automatically operating seat type) is subjected to momentary depression and consequent returning elevation. Such use of the valve, in constructions heretofore devised, serves to prevent the storage tank from receiving, under the momentary action of the valve, a supply of water sufiicient to effectively flush or renew the water in the bowl. In my valve, the flushing, as stated above, may be effected not only from the auxiliary supply or storage tank which depends more or less upon a prolonged opening of the valve for filling, but also from the source of supply, resulting in a very ellicacious flow of water to the bowl under manipulation of the valve upon momentary depression of the seat.

The types of valve above described are generally of the automatically operating class, that is, valves which are operated by the depression and returning elevation of the closet seat, the depression of the seat serving to place the valve mechanism in condition preparatory to flushing upon removal of the pressure from and consequent elevation of the seat. Suehvalves are usually closed at the termination of the flushing operation by means of the water pressure and with resultant sticking and, in some cases, pounding and chattering of the valve. In my device I aim to provide a valve of this type in which closing of the valve is brought about not solely through the pressure of the water, but, in the embodiment shown, by separate and independent movement of the different valves employed and the combined action of the pressure of the water and from mechanical pressure means, and I also aim to provide other details of construction as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

I will now describe my invention, referring to the accompanying drawings, so that side of the disk.

specific details of construction shown in the drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a watercloset showing attached thereto a flushing valve embodying my invention, this valve being of the automatically operating type, or that type which is manipulated by the depression and elevation of the closet seat; F ig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the valve showing the valve in closed or normal position, the position the valve takes when the seat is elevated; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position of the valve mechanism immediately upon depression of the closet seat; Fig. 4 is a similar view partly in elevation showing the valve mechanism in flushing position immediately after the release of the pressure upon the closet-seat; and Figs. 5 and 6 are vertically sectioned fragmentary views showing a modification of the valve, to be hereinafter more fully referred to in the body of the specification.

The valve shown in Fig. 1 is of such construction as will permit of the flushing water being delivered to the closet bowl from both the source of supply and an auxiliary source or storage tank. The numeral. 2 indicates the main casing of the valve having the lateral port 3 (see Figs. 1 and 4), connected with a suitable source of supply 4. Formed at right angles to the port 3 is the rearwardly directed extension 5 of the casing, from the upper portion of which leads the stand pipe 6 communicating with the storage tank 7, while from the lower portion extends the discharge pipe 8 which leads to the bowl 9 of the closet 10. This extension 5 is divided by the wall 11, forming the chamber 12 communicating with the pipe 6 and the chamber 13 communicating with the discharge outlet, or pipe 8. The top of the casing 2 is provided with a suitable screw cap 14 which covers the chamber 15, the lower end of which terminates in the valve seat 16, upon which normally seats the valve 17 carried by the piston 18, and which valve serves to control communication between the chamber 19 and the passage-ways l2 and 13. The piston 18 is mounted to reciprocate in the cylindrical chamber 19 and comprises the barrel-like member 20 extending upwardly from the valve 17 and carrying the screw-cap 21 between which and the laterally projecting flange 22 of the barrel 20 is interposed the disk 23 which serves as a backing for the cup leathers 24 oppositely disposed on each The barrel 20 carries the lower laterally extending flange or spacer arm 25, which serves, in connection with the disk 23, to centrally position the valve against canting or sticking. The lower end of the chamber 26 of the barrel 20 has the valve seat 27 lying at the upper terminal of the passage-way 28 leading from the lower face of the Valve 17. Within this chamber is mounted the plug 29 which projects through an opening in the cap 21, and which is provided at its lower end with the valve 30 formed in complement with the valve seat 27. A coiled spring 31 interposed between the cap 21 and the shoulder or flange 32 of the valve 30 serves to nor mally press the valve 30 into seating engagement with the seat 27.

Depending from the valve 30 is the stem 33, preferably screw-tapped into the plug 29, and extending through the passage-way or opening 28, and carrying at its lower end the cylindrical gate or cut-off valve 34 which diametrically fits the cylindrical passageway 35 which leads from the chamber 19 and with which communicates the passageways 12 and 13. This valve 34 is cylindrically open to permit of the flow of water therethrough from the chamber 19 and the passage-way 12 to the passage-way 13. Its office, as will be brought out hereinafter, is that of serving as a cut-off or choker to retard the flow of water from the passage-way 12 to the passage-way 13, such action being brought about when the said valve is forced upwardly in such manner as to slide across the entrance of the passage-way 12 into the restricted chamber or passage-way 35, the valve'being cylindrical in form so that there is always presented an operative face to the opening or passage-way 12 irrespective of any rotatory shifting of the stem openings 36, 37, and 38 formed respectively in the flange 36, wall of the barrel 20, and the upper face of the cap 21, maintain com'- munication between that portion of the chamber 19 lying above and that portion lying below the piston 18 in whatever position the piston may occupy in the chamber.

The lower portion 39 of the casing 2 is preferably separately formed and engages the screw-threaded nipple-like portion 40', and housed within this sleeve-like portion 39 of the casing is the valve stem 41 which extends below the casing for engagement with suitable operating mechanism carried by the closet-seat. The stem 41 is adapted to be vertically reciprocated for the purpose of bringing the valve 42 carried at the upper end thereof into and out of closing engagement with the cylindrical passage-way 35, the valve 42 having suitable packing 43, which serves to seal communication between the upper part of the chamber 35 with the passage-way 13 when the valve is elevated therein in the manner shown in Fig. 3. In-

terposed between the sleeve 39 and a shoulder on the casing 2 is the bushing 44 in which the upper end 45 of the valve stem 41 is centered, the lower end of the valve stem 41 passing through a suitable stuffing-box 46 carried by the lower end of the casing 39. Between the bushing and the sleeve 39 is provided a suitable packing 47 to prevent seepage of water which may escape into the sleeve 39. The bore in the bushing 44 may be such as toprovide a watertight seal between it and the stem port-ion 45. A spring 48 interposed between the bushing 44 and a fixed collar 49 carried by the stem 41 serves to normally keep the valve 42 depressed against the bushing 44 or in normal inoperative position. It will be readily seen that the valve 43 may be easily removed when desired, with the unscrewing of the sleeve 39.

That portion of the stem 33 which lies within the opening 28 is preferably made to lit the opening closely and is at one side flattened or square finished, as at 50, to effect a minute passage 51 leading from the interior of the barrel 20 to the lower portion of the casing at a point below the valve seat 16, the communication between the lower portion of the casing and the interior of the barrel being brought about when the valve 30 is caused to be forced from the valve seat 27 against the pressure of the spring 31. With the valve in closed or normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, the valve 17 normally closes the main port 16 of the chamber 19, into which is fed the water from the source of supply 4, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4. By depressing the closet-seat the suitable tripping lever 52, common to the seatoperating form of closet valve and adapted to engage with. the usual depending stem or plunger, forces the stem 41 upwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 3, bringing the valve 42 into socketed or closing engagement with the passage ways 12 and 13. \Vith the upward travel of the stem 41 and valve 42, the head of the valve 42 engages with and forces upwardly the stem 33 against the opposing force of the spring 31, and lifts the valve 30 from the seat 27. The upward forcing of the valve 30, with the resultant compressing of the spring 31, causes the barrel 20 of the piston 18 and valve 17 to also be slightly forced upwardly and thereby unseat the valve 17 from its seat 16, as is clearly indicated in Fig. 3. Water which has passed through the openings 36, 37 and 38 into the chamber 19 above the piston, and there eX- erted its pressure, now escapes through the chamber 26 of the barrel to the passage way 51 by reason of the opening valve 30. This escape of the water from above the piston allows the spring 31 to exert its force against the cap, 21, by causing the piston 18 and valve 17 to travel upwardly so as to bring the valve seat 27 into abutment or seating engagement with the valve 30. The water may now pass from the supply pipe 4 into the chamber 19 below the elevated piston into the passage way 12 and thence to the tank 17 until the tank is filled. With the tank Water bound, the pressure on the top and bottom of the piston 18 equalizes by reason of the fact that there is no point of escape at either side of the piston. The valve remains in this position until the pressure is released from the closet seat, which permits the stem 41 to be returned to normal position through the force of the spring 48. The downward movement of the stem 41 returns the valve 42 to normal position as shown in Fig. 4, and thus opening communication of the passage-way 13 with the cylindrical passage-way 35. This communication permits the water to escape from the tank 12 through the passage 35, and thence into the passage-way 13 to the closet bowl. At the same time the water passing from the source of supply in, the chamber 19 passes between the open valve 17 and the seat 16 unto the chamber 35, and thence into the passage-way 13. However, the delivery of the water from the tank is prevented from being too abrupt by means of the gate or valve 34 which, with the elevation of the stem 33, has been moved upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4 whereby the mouth of the passage-way 25 is practically closed. This gate 34 serves to choke or cut off the flow from the tank during the flushing operation and returnsto normal position, gradually opening up the passage way 12, with the return of the stem 33 to its lower or normal position. The return of the stem is occasioned by the seating of the valve 17 which is effected by the water passing through the openings 36, 37, and 38, into the chamber 19 at a point above the piston 18 upon which it exerts its pressure; it being readily understood by those skilled in the art, that the release of the pressure below the piston 18 brought about by the opening of the valve 42, causes the pressure of the incoming water to act upon the larger area at the top of the piston against the pressure upon the lesser area below the piston. The plug 29 projecting through the cap 21 preferably carries the adjustment screw 53, provided with the suitable jam nut 54, whereby the upward travel of the piston 18 may be limited, the said screw 53 being adapted to abut against the top of the cap 14.

ing from the cap 14 is a wiper rod 54' which lies within the orifice 55 and serves, through the reciprocation of the plunger 18, to keep the passage-way 55 free from dirt or deposits which would otherwise tend to clog it.

The spring 31, instead of bearing against the under side of the cap 21, is interposed between the flange 32 and the upper annular flange 56 of the barrel 20,.the plug 29 of the valve 30 terminating within the cap 21 and having the central bore 57 into which the lower end of the wiper-rod 55 passes when the piston is elevated. The operation of this valve is the same as that described above with the exception that water passes from the chamber 26 of the piston 18 to the top of the chamber 19 through the opening 55 of the screw 53 instead of the opening 38 in the cap 21, as shown in. Fig. 2. The time of travel of the piston 18 may be ad justed to any desirable length by varying the size of the opening 38, in the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the orifice 55 in the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6; it being apparent that the flow of the water to the top of the chamber above the piston being through these openings respec tively in the two cases, and that such flow and resultant filling of the chamber above the piston and closing of the main valve 17 is dependent upon the size of these orifices through which it is gradually admitted to the top of the chamber. It will also be apparent that the plug or stem 33 may be so made as to provide for changes in the size of the passage-way 51 so that corresponding variations of time and travel of the valve could be had without modifying the opening 38 and 55. The passage-way 51 is preferably of such size that the resistance ere-i ated by the passage of the water therethrough in its escape to the chamber 35 will cause a partial back-flow of water through the opening 38, or orifice 55, so as to clean the opening in each case from any deposits of'dirt which may tend to clog it. back-flow, of course, is also momentarily effected by the closing of the valve 30.

Further modifications in the specific structure shown in the accompanying drawings may be made without departing from my invention. The valves, while of a design which conduces to lightness and symmetry, may be constructed in various ditferent ways, the general shape and arrangement of the casing and ports therein may also be varied without sacrificing my invention.

The device is simple and is so constructed that the valves may be easily removed and replaced without difliculty, and are of such construction that they may be removed with their associated stem portions, spring, piston, etc., intact. The form of piston, while conveniently shaped to adapt the valve 17 to simple mounting, nevertheless, may be varied still further than is shown in For instance, the flange 25, which serves. to center the pistons, may be dispensed with and a plurality of spacer arms used, such spacer arms being well known in the art, and not needing specific illustration.

In the operation of the valve, the valve 42 as above described, is returned to its seat This through the pressure of the spring 48, although it will be apparent that pressure is exerted upon the upper face of the valve while the water is bound within the storage tank 7 and the chamber 19. However, the return of the valve 42 is independent of the return of the valve 17 to its seat. This enables the valve 42 to immediately drop from the passage 35, and thereby uncover a large mouth or entrance way to the passage 13 preparatory to the slow, gradual closing of the valve 17 and concomitant flow from the source of supply from the chamber 19 and the flow of the water from the tank 7. These commingling streams,passing into the chamber 13, deliver a solid, sustained stream of water overcoming a too free escape of the water from the chamber to the discharge with resultant increased pressure at the top of the piston.

The specific construction of the barrel with the piston, as shown in Fig. 5, is not claimed in this application but forms the subject matter of my application, Serial Number 641,013, filed July 28, 1911. I do not, therefore, claim the same in this case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage way leading to the tank, a valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and discharge outlet, a piston for controlling the valve, a relief valve for controlling the piston, and a third valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet and tank to the outlet and adapted, when moved to closed position, to open the relief valve.

2. In flushing apparatus, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage way leading to a tank, a valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and outlet, a piston for controlling the valve, and having a barrel-like portion provided with a valve seat, a relief valve mounted in the barrel-like portion and associated with the seat, a stem portion carried by the relief valve and depending from the first-named valve, means for normally holding the relief valve ,on its seat, and a third valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and outletadapted to unseat the relief valve.

3. In flushing apparatus, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage way leading to a tank, a valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and the outlet, a piston for controlling the valve and having a cylindrically chambered portion provided with a port, a relief valve controlling the port, a stem portion centered at its upper end in the piston and at its lower end in the first-named valve, and a third valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and outlet and adapted to unseat the relief valve.

4. In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage-way leading to the tank, a valve for controlling the flow of Water from the inlet to the tank and outlet, a piston for controlling the valve, a relief valve for controlling the piston, a third valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet and tank to the outlet, and a gate-like valve carried by the relief valve, for retarding the flow of Water from the tank to the outlet.

5. In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage-way leading to the tank, means for so controlling the inlet port with respect to the tank passage-way and discharge outlet as to cause a flushing discharge of water to flow simultaneously from the inlet and tank to the outlet, and means for initially retarding the flow of water from the tank whereby at first a relatively large volume of water flows from the inlet and an increased amount flows from the tank as the flow diminishes at the inlet.

' 6. In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and. a passage-way leading to the tank, a valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and outlet, in such manner that the flow from the inlet to the outlet shall gradually diminish, and means for so controlling the tank passage way with respect to the outlet that the volume of water passing to the outlet shall re main substantially constant during the flushing operation, irrespective of the diminishing flow from the inlet.

7 In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage-way leading to the tank, a valve for controlling the flow of Water from the inlet to the tank and outlet, a piston for controlling the valve, a relief valve for controlling the piston, a second valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet and tank to the outlet and arranged to operate the relief valve, a depending stem portion carried by the last named valve, and pressure means for normally holding the second valve in open position.

8. In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage-way leading to the tank, a valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and discharge outlet, a piston for controlling the valve, a relief valve for controlling-the piston, and a third valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet and tank to the outlet and adapted, when moved to closing position, to open the relief valve; said third valve being adapted to return to open position independently of the movement of the first named valve.

9. In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage-way leading to the tank, a valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and discharge outlet, a piston for controlling the valve, a relief valve for controlling the piston, means for normally holding the relief valve in closed position, and a third valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet and tank to the outlet and adapted, when moved to closing position, to open the relief valve.

10. In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage-way leading to the tank, a valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and discharge outlet, a piston for controlling the valve, a relief valve for controlling the piston, means for normally holding the relief valve in closed position, and a third valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet and tank to the outlet and adapted, when moved to closing position, to open the relief valve; said third valve being adapted to move to open position independently of the movement of the first named valve.

11. In flushing apparatus, a normally empty tank, a casing having inlet and outlet ports and a passage way leading to the tank, a valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet to the tank and outlet, a piston for controlling the valve, a relief valve for controlling the piston, a depending stem portion carried by the relief valve, a gate-like valve carried by the stem portion and adapted to control the flow of water from the tank to the outlet, and a third valve for controlling the flow of water from the inlet and tank to the outlet and adapted to actuate the gate valve.

In testimony whereof, -I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS F. PAYNE. Witnesses:

M. A. KELLER, M. A. BARTI-I.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. C. 

